Pawn
by Pen Sil
Summary: For her own peace of mind she'd really rather be his ally than his pawn.


**Pawn**

* * *

She'd never found him truly intimidating. He was indeed as impressive as her brother and he was far better at playing with people emotionally than Entei - frankly, she was sure Kouen found such games to be beneath him. He was formidable in his ability to manipulate magoi, in the fact that he'd conquered seven dungeons, and in the fact that he was High King of the Seven Seas. He was truly a force to be reckoned with.

And, indeed, she hadn't been comfortable with him in the beginning. But there had been reasons for that. When she'd found out he was a king she had immediately put him on the same level as her father; someone who took what they wanted from women of lesser birth. Truly all men of the court were enemies of her for they were above her and their touch was a taint. It was not allowed. Had he been a mere warrior of Balbadd, even just a common thief with extraordinary abilities, that would have been different. People of common birth were of no concern to her and she could easily have had them hanged. They couldn't touch her. Not really. So her behaviour was fully justified!

Maybe she had been obvious but she had not been her intention to fall in love. He certainly hadn't tried to make her fall in love. She'd seen the way he flirted with others and he'd never treated her to such compliments. Sure he'd called her terrifying and he had good reason to, but he'd never complimented her on her beauty or really said anything that might suggest he saw her as more than a pawn.

One thing about him that did terrify her, on the other hand, was his wrath. It wasn't intimidating; it was down right fear inducing and she was sure many brave men had crumbled before it. He his it well, and peopled flocked to him, but she knew. For some reason she just knew.

It was probably because of all this she doesn't find him intimidating. He doesn't want people to fear him so it's not part of his arsenal. He was never afraid of using her fear of his wrath in order to make her help him, however. That much had been clear from the first time she'd become aware of being nothing but a pawn to him.

A pawn is a pawn is a pawn. That was what she'd been taught. It could be sacrificed with ease and held no specific power over the strategical part of the play, except in the fact that there would always be many of them. Expendables to the greater good of winning. She knew, from the time she became aware of him having hypnotised her, that she was nothing more than a pawn to him. A small piece of no worth, which could easily be sacrificed.

And yet... She was the perfect pawn. She did nothing about it; didn't go to Judal to have the spell removed, didn't even try. It was pathetic but she argued that she could control it, could use it against him. Though it might just have been another part of spell - a precaution.

She was certain she was just another of those pathetic woman that always adorned his arms at parties; women he had little respect for because they were that easy to manipulate. Because he was that easy to love. Had it been anyone else she would have had him castrated.

It was when her thoughts turned to self-loathing and her love became like knives to her heart and a threat to her soul - because Al-Thamen was always on the prowl for more people to corrupt - that she decided to do something about him.

* * *

After the first waves of wars that came from the frictions between Al-Thamen and Sindria, there came a time when they were both in Leam. It was easy then to decide to corner him, which became that much easier after having enlisted Jafar's help.

"Hime-gimi," he said, looking from her to Jafar and Ka Koubun, who were both standing in the door to the conference room so he couldn't escape. "It's been a while."

"Please do not waste your time on pleasantries, Lord Sinbad," she said, hurrying to make sure he wouldn't crank up on the charms, because a small part of her was ecstatic to see him - a small part growing steadily larger. "Here's the deal; remove your hypnosis or I'm going to Entei with every single one of the suggestions your lordship placed in my mind over the last year."

She'd been proud of herself until he smiled. "Are you threatening war, hime?"

She hadn't wanted to. "M-maybe just assassination," she stuttered and hid her face under her sleeves, avoiding his gaze. "Of course I could do that by myself, but I get the feeling Kouen has some better contacts."

"I'm sure he does," Sinbad said and took a nonchalant step forwards. "The problem with that is that I have a habit of befriending the people sent to kill me." His smile turned heartbreaking then. "You don't really want to kill me, do you, Hime?"

"Of course not," she admitted, her shoulders slumping. "But you've caused me a lot of trouble, especially since Judal suddenly found a weak spot in my faith in the Rukh. Had he gotten his way I would have wanted to kill you."

Her eyes brimmed with tears that she quickly brushed away. There was no need to show him exactly how much grief he had caused her.

"Please," she said, bowing deeply. "Please remove that spell. If you wanted me to speak your case to my brother you could have just asked me to. I'd like to be your ally and not your pawn."

Silence followed her words. When she looked up again his face had moulded into a mask of seriousness and contemplation. Finally he shook his head, drew a complicated pattern in the air and said a spell of release.

The world vanished from her sight.

* * *

For more than a day she slept. When she woke the next morning it was with no ringing in her ears and a letter of formal invitation to a general and princess of the Kou Empire on her nightstand.

It was the only apology she ever got.

* * *

yeah. Ideka but I wanted to write something from Kou-chan's pov. So there.

also... these kinds of things usually start in one theme and ends in something completely different, don't they...?


End file.
